Tappet-valve mechanism



F. G. ALBORN.

Patented De.`13,192'1.

TAPPET VALVE MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16. i918. 1,399,839.4

Vform of internal combustion engine having Uirso stars IPATEN'I GFFEQ FRANS G. ALBCRN, or ivrrnnonn, CONNECTICUT2 AssrGNon, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS,

To TEE LCCCMCEILE COMPANY,` on EmnGEronT, coNNEoTrCUT, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

TAPPETI-VALVE IJIECHANISM. I

i Patent-ea nee. 1s, y1921.

Applicationrfiled August 16, 1918. Serial No. 250,143.

la specification, like Vcharacters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates; to .tappetvalve mechanisms of the class in which the tappet or valve lifter Vis free to rotate in its guide and is usually not only reciprocated by a Vcam but rotated thereby Vto distribute the Vwear on that end of the tappet which servesl as a'wiper coperating with the cam. My invention is more particularly concernedv with'meansV for .facilitating the axial adjustment. of the tappet vwith relation to the valve. i l' My invention -will be ,best understood by lreference tothe following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings fof *one specific embodiment thereofwhile its scope will vbe more particularly pointed out inV theappended claims.

In the.drawings: Figure 1V is a vertical sectional view of a portion. of an internalv combustion engine `having a tappet valve .mechanism.embody-v ing my inventlon;

Fig. 2 is a sectional-view on line 242 of Figl; and u Y J- Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings andto the embodiment of my inventionV which is. illustrated therein, I have shown for purposes of exemplication a portion of acommon a tappet valve mechanism whose general features are well known to those skilled in the art. VThe typical valve mechanism shown herein comprises a puppet valve 4 coperating with a valve. seat 5 and pro` vided with a stem 6 guidedTOY-f1- valve Vstem guide 7 and .normally seated bya spring 8, the latter resting against one end at a fixed abutment 9 and at its other end against an` abutmentlO carried by thefvalve stem.

The valve actuating mechanism comprises a usual cam shaft 11 having thereon a cam 12 which coperates with a valve .lifter or 55,

tappetlll, the latter being guided by a valve position.

lifter guide 14 which in the example shown 1s secured in the crank casea portion of which is shown` at, l57 the fastening means selected for exemplification being a' usual (lzlgamping yoke l'and stud 17 having a nut cam 12, as'clearly shown in Fig. 1, the effect being to cause thetappet to be rotated about itsV axis in a manner well known to those skilled in theart. This distributes the wear by rotating theu tappet slightly `from time Ato time as it reciprocates.

As is well known in valve mechanisms of this class, an., accurate adjustment is re'- quired between the. valve and the tappet in order that the valve` may AVat alltimesseat properly, yet -without undue vnoise.` t VIt is usually customary to vprovide a means of adjustment whereby a clearance Vspace ofA from three to five thousandths kof an inchis' maintained between the coperating end faces Aof the valve stem .and the tappet.

Preferably the axis of the tappet or `valve lifter 13 is offset with relation to the Suchlmeans ofv adjustment usually comprises a cap screw 19'threaded into the upper end ofthe tappetwhereby the latter, ineect, may be lengthened or shortened at will.. A

lock nut 270 threaded onto the adjusting screw vis provided to maintain the proper adjustment of the latter in the usual manner. It hasheretofore been customary to provide the tappet. lwith flat faces 21--to whicha wrench may be applied v.to hold the tappet against rotation while thel adjustment is being made. It has heretofore been inipossible to accomplish this adjustment in anaccurate and satisfactorymanner by the use of twohands because it :is really necessaryto apply awrench to the adjusting screw, anotherv to thelock nut and another to the tappet, so thatthelatter can be held against rotation while the screw and ylock nut are rotated to obtain the proper'adjustment and;

Inf. order to enable.v one person tov accom- Y plish the adjustment readily, I have provided means for temporarilyk locking the tappetagainst rotation so that the workman may then vmanipulatethe screw 4by means of a wrench held in one hand and the nutby a wrenchV held inthe other... To thisgend-I may provide the tappet guide 14 with a suitable openingto receive a suitableflocking element cooperating with thevalve lifter or then-'secure the parts in )such tappet. In the present embodiment of my invention this opening is in the form of a wide and rather shallow groove 22 milled,

. of the tappet may be opposed by turning the latter until one set of faces is approximately parallel to the other. I may then introduce between the opposed faces a suitable locking element which will hold the tappet against rotation during the adjustment but may afterward be removed, thus freeing the tappet and allowing the latter to be rotated in the usual manner. By providing a groove which is open at the upepr end of the tappet guide, no harm can result to the Amechanism if the workman should inadvertently leave the locking element in place since such element would simply rise and fall with the tappet, the only dierenceV being that the latter would not rotate.

The locking element may take various forms but in the present embodiment of my invention I haveV shownA a generally U- shaped key 2d having a pairA of arms 25 of suitable size and shape to slide into the l,spaces between the opposed faces 21 and 23, as clearlyV shown inFigs. l and 2. When this is done the tappet is temporarily but none the less securely locked against rota- .tionY and the workman may then proceed with the'making of the adjustment without giving the key further thought until the adjustment is completed, whereupon the key may be withdraw.Y Asbefore stated,

however, should the workman forget to re-y move the key no real harm can result.

Having thus described one form or embodiment .of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l.V In atappet valve-actuating mechanism of the class in which the tappet rotates and reciprocates, the combination of a tappet havj ing Ya screw and nut for effecting axial adjustment and means coperating with a fixed part of ythe:mechanism to lock said tappet against rotation in opposite directions preparatory to making such adjustment.

2.A In a tappet valve-actuating mechanism of the class in `which thetappet rotates and reciprocates, the combination of a tappet'having a screw and nut for effecting axial adjustment, a guide in which said tappet reciprocates and is normally free to turn, and means coperating withy said guide to lock said tappet against rotation preparatory to making suchv adjustment.

3. In a tappet valve-actuating mechanism of the class in which the tappet is cam-actuated and is normally freeto rotate, the combinationof a tappet having rotatable means for effecting axial adjustment, a guide in which said tappet reciprocates and is normally ,free to turn, and means adapted t0 by said valve lifter, and a valve-lifter guide,`

said valve-lifter and guide presenting an opening for therecepti'on of an implementk to lock said valve-lifter against rotation. Y

6. A valve mechanism comprising, in combination, a puppet valve, a valve-lifting. cam, a normally rotatable valve-lifter actuated by said cam, rotatable adjusting means carried by said valve-lifter, andl a valve-lifter guide, said valve-lifter and guide being provided with generally radial surfaces adapted to receive betweenthem an 'implementV to lockV said valve lifter against rotation. Y

7. In a, tappet valve-actuating.mechanism of the class Vin which the tappet rotates and reciprocates, Vthe combination of a tappet having a vscrew and nut for effecting axial adjustment and means to lock said tappet' against rotation preparatory tomaking such adjustment, said means comprising a member provided with an opening, and a key received in said opening and mounted to slide into and out of engagement with said tappet. 1 i' n 8l In a tappet valve-actuating mechanism of the'class in whichthe tappet rotates and reciprocates, the combination ofa tappet having a screw and nut for effecting axial adjustment andL means to lock said tappet against rotation preparatory to making such adjustment, said means comprising a member provided withV an openinghaving two faces on opposite sides of said tappet, and

said'tappet being provided with rtwo corresponding faces on opposite sides thereof, and a generally U-shaped key having two arms adapted tobe received between the faces of said tappet and the faces of said opening. D :y

9. In a tappet valve-actuating mechanismV of the class in which vthe tappet rotates and recip'rocates, the combination of a tappet having a screw and Vnut forefecting axiall adjustment' and means tol lock said tappet against rotation preparatory to making such adjustment, said means comprising a tap pet guide provided in .its outer end with a diametrical groove having vtwo faces on opposite sides of said tappet, and said tappet vbeing provided with two corresponding' faces on opposite sides thereof, and a generally U-shaped key having two arms adapted to be received between the faces of said tappet and the faces of said opening.

l0. In a tappet valve-actuating mechanism of the class in Which the tappet rotates and reciprocates, thecombination of a tappet having a screw and nut for effecting axial adjustment and means to lock said tappet against rotation preparatoryv to makl0v VlFRANS G. ALBoRN. 

